7 min read
Long term downcycle will transform global petrochemicals, creating new Winners and Losers
By John Richardson THIS IS not a normal downcycle. Please get over that idea however many people, both inside and outside your company, tell you
Tag : China Intellectual Property Abuses
7 min read
5 min read
Asian polypropylene market heads for major 2020 downturn
By John Richardson THE ASIAN polypropylene (PP) market hasn’t been as bad as the region’s polyethylene (PE) market in 2019 because of much more
5 min read
Surge in US polyethylene exports occurs as China growth slows, Asian margins turn negative
By John Richardson PERHAPS ONE could argue, but I certainly wouldn’t, that in a perfect world the extraordinary rise in US polyethylene (PE)
5 min read
President Trump can only cause major economic damage by beating China, unless he has a time machine
The views in this blog, are, as always, my own personal views and don’t reflect the views of ICIS. Thanks By John Richardson LORD SALISBURY, who
4 min read
Hong Kong an example of rising political risk and the end of easy growth
This blog expresses my opinions and not those of ICIS By John Ricuardson THE UNREST in Hong Kong worsened over the weekend. Protestors were
4 min read
President Trump’s “better off without China” tweet not supported by the data
The opinions in this blog post are, as always, my own and do not reflect the views of ICIS By John Richardson DONALD TRUMP insisted in a tweet
5 min read
How the Millennials and “less is more” are destroying petrochemicals demand
By John Richardson WE HAVE gone beyond the point of no return because of a major societal shift. Millennials, and a good number of a lot older
4 min read
President Trump’s tariff concession adds to uncertainties as we drift towards a bipolar world
The following opinions are my personal views, and, as always, do not express the views of ICIS By John Richardson PRESIDENT TRUMP could have blinked
4 min read
US declaring China currency manipulator risks 10.8m tonnes of global petrochemicals demand
By John Richardson BY PLAYING with fire President Trump has very likely set the forest on fire. Today’s decision by the White House decision to
4 min read
Trump latest tariffs risk global recession, 3.8m tonne lost PE demand
By John Richardson PRESIDENT Trump is playing with fire as a result of his plan to impose 10% import tariffs on a further $300bn of Chinese imports.
2 min read
BASF’s shocking Q2 results should have been no shock at all
y John Richardson NOBODY should be surprised by the BASF results for Q1 2019 where, on a year-on-year basis, EBIT was down by 71%. This was largely
2 min read
Southeast Asia PE spreads further underline weak demand, but trade talks promise rebound
By John Richardson THE GOOD news today is that the US and China have agreed to resume trade talks. Presidents Trump and Xi are also scheduled to
4 min read
China PP demand at risk of 20 million tonnes shortfall in 2019-2025
By John Richardson THE CHANCES of some kind of trade deal have edged a little higher following the announcement that President Trump will have an
6 min read
China PP demand growth still heading for seven-year low despite surge in imports
By John Richardson ALL is not suddenly right with China’s polypropylene (PP) demand despite our revised data for January-April 2019 indicating
6 min read
Symptoms worsen for Dr Benzene and China economy as trade war accelerates
By John Richardson THE ABOVE chart is again telling us something very important about the real state of the Chinese economy. It shows Northeast